It wasn’t an easy Friday for Jorge Martin at Assen. The World Championship leader finished with the fifth fastest time, but it’s above all the gap of almost half a second over his rival Pecco Bagnaia that makes people turn up their noses a bit. It was clear that today wouldn’t be easy, however, because it would be his first day as a separated rider at home in Ducati, after the “betrayal” of the Reds who preferred Marc Marquez, inducing him to sign for Aprilia.
“Martinator” was honest at the end of the day and did not hide the fact that he felt at least a little uncomfortable when he had to deal with the technicians of the Borgo Panigale manufacturer. But it is clear that if he wants to continue fighting for the title he will have to trust and try to make these feelings slip away.
“It’s definitely strange when I talk to Gigi and the guys, the Ducati engineers. A bit strange because they ask me a lot of things about what happens on the track and it’s difficult to be honest,” said the Prima Pramac Racing rider, who today announced his farewell to Ducati to join Yamaha starting in 2025.
“But I think they want to help me, so I’ll try to be honest with them, explain what’s going on and try to improve. I hope that when I give them information, they’ll give it back to me. That’s the key. I’ll try to get help from them. But it’s a little bit strange when they come into the box to talk to me,” he added.
Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Now that he knows what his future holds, he admitted that a bit of a weight has been lifted, because he now knows he has nothing left to prove except to himself. “Now I’m more relaxed. I feel more relaxed in the garage. I don’t know if I was obsessed with having to prove to Ducati that I was the right one. Now I feel like I only have to prove something to myself.”
“I race only for myself, to try to keep up with the best riders every day. This is my main goal. I no longer have to race to prove something to Ducati, but just to prove to myself that I have to believe in myself and that I can achieve the goals I have in mind.”
Finally, he was asked if wanting to demonstrate to Ducati that they were wrong to focus on Marquez instead of him could be an additional incentive, but the Madrid native doesn’t seem to think so: “No, no, not at all! They wouldn’t have me chosen even if I had a 100 point advantage, it’s not about proving anything, it’s more about working on myself to be a better driver, in Valencia at the end of the year and to be an even better driver next season.”
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